Feds deliver $2 million grant to UACCM for allied health center

The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) will receive a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to build a new Allied Health and Science Center.

The project will consolidate the school’s health professional training programs into one building and provide increased capacity to expand its programs. This federal investment will be matched with $1.1 million in local funds.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is dedicated to increasing economic opportunities for communities across the country,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “This EDA investment in UACCM will facilitate the expansion of its healthcare training programs, creating additional workforce training pipelines of highly-skilled workers to fill jobs across the region.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the West Central Arkansas Planning and Development District (WCAPDD).

“This $2 million grant will allow the Community College at Morrilton to expand opportunities so that more students than ever can pursue a career in the healthcare profession,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “The healthcare industry and all Arkansans will benefit from the grant, which strengthens the school’s mission to train more healthcare professionals.”

A recent study from Heartland Forward found that thousands of healthcare jobs remain unfilled across the country because the number of available positions outstrips the number of available workers.